If I Die
by Victorious-Mind
Summary: Ed's trapped under rubble with a serious injury. Just when he's about to give up, he sees the future. A future that would come true if he died. One-Shot, Non-Yaoi. Parental!RoyEd as always.


**A/N: I finally got off my lazy ass (okay, I'm not really lazy but still..) and decided to write this one-shot that's been stuck in my phone forever. There were only 200 words I had needed to write to end it, but I didn't, and so I never decided to type it up. But now I'm putting it up! AND YOU GUYS WILL READ IT. You have to… This is another idea that I thought a lot about… I don't know where it came from though. **

**Anyways: HERE! ENJOY! PARENTAL!ROYED! (of course it is…who's the author here? It seems like I don't write anything other than Parental!RoyEd, huh? *sigh*) NON-YAOI!**

**GO ON! READ!**

* * *

**IF I DIE**

Edward opened his eyes, blinking slowly to adjust the darkness. Everything hurt. His legs, his arms, chest, his sides…. Oh, his side, there was an unbearable pain there. It was giving him a new wave of pain every time he tried to move.

Where the hell was he?

Ed turned his head to the side, and saw a little trickle of light coming in. He looked around, trying to move as little as possible. Rocks, dust… He was trapped under rubble. He looked at his side to see the source of the pain. _Blood._ Lot of _blood. _He had been stabbed. _And the knife was still in there._

Ed looked away. He was bleeding, slowly, but surely. At least the knife was still in there, preventing more blood from leaking out. But it was still bad. He would die in fifteen minutes at the most if he didn't get any medical help.

Oh yeah…What had happened? How had he ended up like this?

He was fighting a murderer… And then he was stabbed. The last thing he remembered was the Colonel yelling for him before an explosion rocked the ground and everything went black.

He was lying on his back. There were rocks pinning his limbs to the ground. His automail arm was trapped above his head. Both his legs were under some big rock. At least _they_ weren't broken.

His flesh arm was under another rock. It was trapped up to his forearm and he felt like skin tearing under it as he tried to move. Ed bit his lip. Was this where it was going to end? He couldn't even move his arm to perform alchemy. He pulled his flesh arm again, desperate to pull it free from under the big rock.

_**Crack.**_

Edward threw his head back as pain exploded in his wrist. His wrist…_it_ _was broken._

He closed his eyes and let the darkness consume him.

* * *

He stood in the middle of an empty white place. He knew this place. There was a huge gate in front o him. The Gate of Truth. _Was he dead?_

The door suddenly opened. In front of the darkness stood Trisha. _His mother was smiling at him with her perfect teeth and beautiful green eyes._

"M…mom?" he asked.

"Edward…You can't give up now." She said, slowly. "I'll have to show you the future." She explained, still smiling.

"Future?" Ed asked. "What future?"

"The future that would come true if you died now. And how it would affect everyone around you." She said and grabbed his hand.

The scene changed.

Edward was standing in a graveyard. A gravestone was in front of him.

"_Colonel Edward Elric_

_1899 – 1914_

_Hero of the People_

_Fallen in line of duty"_

Though the grave that was dug up was still empty. He hadn't been buried yet. He turned around. There were people. A lot of people dressed in black.

_This was his funeral._

In front, there was Al, Winry and Pinako. Winry held a wet handkerchief in her hand and she was crying, eyes and face red, sobs shaking her entire body. Pinako stood grim-faced and her head was bowed. Sobbing sounds that broke Ed's heart piece by piece came from Al's armor.

He turned around and began walking a few steps back.

"Why are they burying big brother?! Can't he come to visit us anymore?! Please don't bury big brother! PLEASE!" Elysia yelled in her father's arms. Hughes bowed his head, put a hand on her head and pulled her close as silent tears fell from his eyes. Gracia, his wife, was by his side, also silently crying.

Ed continued walking. He came up to Major Armstrong, Maria Ross and Denny Brosh. Their heads were bowed, the hats hiding their face expression. Maria Ross's and Major Armstrong's shoulders were shaking. And Denny had a napkin tightly clenched in his hand.

Next up were Colonel Roy Mustang and his team. They were all teary, even Lieutenant Hawkeye. Though Mustang's face was grim, his head bowed. Ed could see that his hand was shaking but his face was dry.

Ed continued walking. There were so much people. He doubted that he knew half of them. But they were all there, some were crying, some muttered prayers under their breaths.

He recognized a few people from Youswell. A little girl he had saved when he was leaving on one of his missions. The Tringham brothers were there, clinging to each other.

His teacher, Izumi and Sig Curtis were also there. Sig had his arm tightly wrapped around Izumi so that she wouldn't collapse. Ed had never seen his teacher so…_broken._

A few people from Resembool were there and another bunch of people he didn't know. He guessed they were people who had probably seen him on some of his missions.

Later, people left. Everyone did. Alphonse, Winry and Pinako were leaving too. But as soon as they left, Roy Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye came forward.

Ed stared and watched them. Mustang took of his hat and stared at Ed's grave. A few drops hit the floor. There was thunder.

It began raining.

Mustang raised his head to the sky, and Ed could tell that the drops that ran down his face were his tears, not the rain.

"I've always been so…useless in rain." Roy said. His shoulders slightly shook. "I can't even protect a single kid. How am I supposed to protect an entire country?"

Riza Hawkeye just watched silently from afar, understanding in her eyes.

Ed's jaw dropped to the floor. Roy Mustang, undefeatable, Flame Alchemist, the one that everyone feared, was crying? It was hard to believe. He had never noticed how much Roy Mustang cared for him. And the rest of them..? Was he really all that important?

The scene changed and Ed found himself standing in the middle of an office.

_Mustang's office. _

It was mostly empty and the only occupants in the room were Lieutenant Hawkeye and Colonel Mustang. Ed looked at the date on the calendar. It was a few days after his funeral.

Mustang stood in front of his desk, putting a few things in a box.

_What is he doing? _Ed wondered and walked to his desk.

There was a paper next to the box with the State Alchemist watch on top of it.

He was leaving the military.

"That idiot!" Ed grumbled. "What the hell does he think he's doing?"

He looked at the Lieutenant. Wasn't she supposed to shoot Mustang if he strayed down the wrong path?

She just stood there and watched him with a sad expression on his face.

The scene changed once again. Now he was in Winry's room. There were about ten automail arm and leg on one of the desks. Each one was better than the other and Ed could tell they were made with the most expensive material. They were all better than what she used to make.

There were also pictures on the wall too. Of him, Winry and Al.

Winry walked into the room, followed by Al, who was still in armor.

"Winry, are those for..?" he began.

"Yes." Winry said. "They're all for Ed. I know it's stupid but I spend all my money on this…and try to make better automail so that when…when he comes back, he could take whichever he wants…" Winry's eyes filled with tears again. "But I know he won't come back…He's…gone…"

It hurt Edward to see Winry like this, but he couldn't reach out to her and comfort her.

Winry hugged Al and began crying. "What are you going to do, Al? Aren't you going to get your body back?"

Alphonse was staring down at the rug. "Brother died because he was trying to get my body back. If getting my body back is going to get people killed…like…like Ed…then I don't want mine back…"

Ed frowned darkly. "Do you think that's what I would have wanted?!" he asked, even though he knew that Alphonse couldn't hear him.

The scene shifted. Now he was standing in the middle of a nearly desolate room. There was a chair, a sofa, a fireplace, a table, a little rug and a couch where Mustang sat.

This was his house.

He was holding a cup of coffee in his hands, staring at the empty fireplace. He had a coat wrapped around his shoulders and he was staring at the ground.

There was a knock on the door. Roy got up, leaving the full cup that he hadn't even gotten a sip yet on the desk and opened the door.

It was Second Lieutenant Breda, Second Lieutenant Havoc, and Maes Hughes.

"Hello." He said. "Come in."

"Sir." They both said as they came in and sat on the couch.

"Roy." Hughes mumbled. "We were going to the bar and we thought you were lonely out here." Breda said.

"And you are." Jean added.

"Thanks, but I'll pass." Roy mumbled, staring at the floor.

Jean scowled. "Come on Colonel, don't be like that. Riza will be there too."

Roy shrugged. "No, I'm good."

Breda shivered on the sofa and pulled his coat closer around him. "Why don't you heat up the house a bit? Get the gloves and light up that fireplace."

Roy Mustang didn't move his eyes from the floor. "I don't want to."

Hughes gave an exasperated sigh. "One spark is all it takes, Roy. You can't just stay here forever. You have to stop blaming yourself for Ed's death. Besides, you already fried the guy who stabbed him, right?"

Edward did a double-take and his mouth split open. Mustang blamed himself for his death? Why would he do such a thing?

"I'm the one who told him to join the military." Roy spoke, back hunched, eyes on the floor. "I'm the one who sent him on that mission."

Breda rubbed Roy's back sympathetically. Hughes continued talking. "Edward wouldn't want you to think that. Now you're starting to act like him, blaming yourself for things that weren't your fault."

Mustang refused to lift his head. "I don't want to go to Central… I don't want to see that girl…Winry. Or Alphonse. Especially Alphonse. I can't look at his face when I promised him I'll protect his brother. And now this happened."

There was a minute of silence in the room.

"It's not like they'll blame you." Havoc said.

Roy didn't respond.

"Anyways Colonel, give us a call when you're thinking of changing your mind, okay?"

"Thanks for coming." Mustang responded.

Roy Mustang got up after they left, and dumped the ice-cold coffee down the sink, and sat back on the couch, doing nothing.

The scene went white. Ed was back at the Gate.

"Well?" the Truth asked.

"I'm not dying yet." Edward said, determined. "I can't just die and leave them in that miserable state like that."

The Truth smiled. "Well there you go." The door opened and pulled Ed inside.

* * *

Edward woke up under rubble once again with pain in his stomach and his wrist. He had lost a bit more blood now. But he was desperate to pull his arm free from under that big rock even though it was broken. He had to live. There was no way he was going to die and make people cry after him…or become a recluse, or give up on their goal in Mustang's case.

He began moving his hand from under the rock. He could still feel it, which meant that he still had some circulation. If there was no blood going to his hand then they'd probably had to amputate it. And then he'd have to get automail… Ed shuddered.

He managed to move his hand bit by bit until the edge of rock came to rest on his wrist. He breathed in and out. There was a chance he could slice his wrist. And then he'd lose even more blood and die.

"Search that area, Havoc! I'll search here!" someone was yelling. _Mustang. _Ed tried to yell but it didn't work. His throat was too dry and his breath was ragged.

Without thinking another second, Ed pulled his wrist from the rock. He'd slight cut his wrist, but not deep enough that he'd hit a major artery.

He dipped his fingers into the blood that was coming out of his side, and ignoring his broken wrist, he drew a transmutation circle.

Using his last bit of energy, Edward activated the circle.

"I see light!"

"Is he there?"

Someone was coming. Ed knew.

He felt sleepy – it felt like anchors were dragging his eyelids down to the bottom of the darkness –

"EDWARD!"

More rubble was removed, dust fell around him and he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. "Hold on, I'll get you out of there!"

The remaining rocks around him disappeared.

"You're going to be okay." He told Edward, worry written across his face.

Ed gave a little smirk and he knew no more.

* * *

Beep, beep, beep.

It was disturbing his peaceful sleep.

_Go away dammit!_

Beep.

"Is he awake?"

"Don't tire him, he lost a lot of blood."

Beep, beep.

"How long does he have to stay here?"

"About a week."

_What? A week? In a hospital?_

Ed opened his eyes.

"I guess he heard you, huh, Colonel?"

Edward glanced around. Mustang, Alphonse, Havoc and a doctor were around his bed.

"Brother?" Al asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Ed mumbled.

"I'll leave you alone." The doctor said and left the room.

"Umm, thanks…" Edward said, looking at Mustang and Havoc.

Jean grinned. "Chief, you gave us a scare. You lost a lot of blood and nearly died."

Ed sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"Don't say that so calmly!" Alphonse yelled.

"I won't die, Al." Ed said, staring out the window. "You guys would be lost if I did."

Silence.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Roy asked, staring at Ed.

Edward smiled. "Nothing. Just a little dream I had..."

* * *

_You can't quit until you try_  
_You can't live until you die_  
_You can't learn to tell the truth_  
_Until you learn to lie_

_You can't breathe until you choke_  
_You gotta laugh when you're the joke_  
_There's nothing like a funeral to make you feel alive_

_Just open your eyes_  
_Just open your eyes_  
_And see that life is beautiful._  
_Will you swear on your life,_  
_That no one will cry at my funeral?_

_-Life Is Beautiful – Sixx:A.M._

* * *

**A/N: Well? What do you think? And yeah, I got the inspiration from the song Life Is Beautiful by Sixx:A.M. PLEASE REVIEW AND THANKS FOR READING! ;D**


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